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Committee advances $75,000 appropriation for irrigation economic study, later re‑refers bill to appropriations
Summary
The Senate Agriculture and Veterans Affairs Committee gave House Bill 1531 a due-pass recommendation as amended to fund an irrigation expansion and economic contribution study, then later reconsidered and re-referred the measure to the Appropriations Committee. The bill would provide up to $75,000 for the Commissioner of Agriculture to contract a
The Senate Agriculture and Veterans Affairs Committee considered House Bill 1531, which would provide a one-time appropriation of up to $75,000 to the Commissioner of Agriculture to contract with a consultant for a study of potential benefits of increased irrigation and water conveyance in North Dakota.
Representative Cynthia Schreiber Beck (District 25), sponsor, told the committee she was working from an amended version in the packet and described the bill as a "shell study" that would compile available data and analyze economic contributions of irrigation. "Data is necessary to continue advocating for irrigation and water conveyance for production agriculture in North Dakota," she said, and noted much information already exists within the Department of Water Resources.
Danny Quistell, executive director of the North Dakota Irrigation Association, testified in support. He said the state lacks a consolidated estimate of the economic contribution of irrigation and added the study could help advocacy with the federal government for compensation where promised irrigation development never occurred under the Pick-Sloan Flood Control program.
Additional supporters included Lance Gavey of the North Dakota Farmers Union and Rachel Gross of the North Dakota Farm Bureau, both of whom voiced general support for data-driven analysis.
Andrew Nygren of the Department of Water Resources provided neutral information, noting several prior state and academic reports that could support the study and explaining the department has some resources but lacks in-house economic expertise and that some previous in-house capacity no longer exists.
The committee moved and recorded a due-pass recommendation for the amended bill. The roll call recorded: Senator Marsalais — yes; Senator Weston — yes; Senator Weber — yes; Chairman Lewick — yes; Vice Chair Meridahl — aye; Senator Lamb — aye. The committee later stood at ease but returned and the membership reconsidered its prior action. Senator Weber said his original motion should have included re-referral to Appropriations; the committee voted to reconsider and the amended bill was returned to the committee and re-referred to Appropriations on a recorded roll call.
The bill language directs the commissioner to contract with a consultant to study irrigation development potential, economic contributions of irrigation compared with non-irrigated production, and implications of not implementing planned federal projects. The appropriation request in the transcript was "one-time funding up to $75,000."
Votes at a glance: House Bill 1531 — initially given a due-pass recommendation as amended; after reconsideration, committee voted to due-pass as amended and re-refer to the Appropriations Committee (roll calls recorded in transcript).
